No love for waste energy bill

Thursday

Feb 14, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Senate Democrats in the State Affairs Committee Wednesday abandoned their “jobs, jobs, jobs” mantra when they decided to shoot down Senator Kevin Grantham’s (R-Canon City) bill to classify the Waste-to-Energy process as a renewable energy.

By La Junta Tribune-Democrat

DENVER – Senate Democrats in the State Affairs Committee Wednesday abandoned their “jobs, jobs, jobs” mantra when they decided to shoot down Senator Kevin Grantham’s (R-Canon City) bill to classify the Waste-to-Energy process as a renewable energy. Currently, 26 states, the federal government, as well as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado consider this technology a renewable energy.

Creative Energy Systems, a Colorado energy company, had planned to create 50 jobs as well as make a $40 million dollar investment in La Junta, Colorado, if this legislation had passed.

Ron Davis, Director of Economic Development for the City of La Junta testified that “This was about jobs in Colorado, not just for La Junta, but for the entire state”

Bryan Bryant, Otero County Economic Development Coordinator added “This was a shovel ready project. This would create jobs now for people in Otero County.”

Colorado State Representative Clarice Navarro (R-Pueblo), the House sponsor, stated “Rural Coloradans lost a huge economic driver today. It is a travesty that the Democrats in the Colorado Senate are more concerned about supporting the Denver-Boulder environmental movement than creating jobs in Southeastern Colorado.”

Senator Grantham added, “It is highly disappointing that Senator Angela Giron (D-Pueblo) and her Democrat committee members take their marching orders from people who know little to nothing about the people of Pueblo and southeastern Colorado. Democrat special interests are the only winners today.”

Senate Bill 63 died on a 2-3 party line vote, with Senator Larry Crowder (R-Alamosa) and Senator Ted Harvey (R-Highlands Ranch) standing up and supporting jobs in southeastern Colorado.

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